Police: Man Attacked Paramedics Who Tried To Help Him
Updated 07/13/11 - 5:03 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Paramedics found Brian Banks passed out and apparently drunk in his car, with his feet sticking out of the open back door, in the northeast corner of the Lakeview neighborhood Tuesday night.
But when they tried to help, he began yelling at them and picked a fight, police said Wednesday.
Brian Banks of the 3400 block of South Rhodes Avenue was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated battery to an EMT, police said. Bond was set at $15,000 on Wednesday.
Just after 9 p.m. two women flagged down Chicago Fire Department ambulance No. 31 because they saw a man passed out in a silver Acura in the 600 block of West Sheridan Road – a block lined with apartment buildings near Lake Shore Drive, police said.
When paramedics got there, they saw two legs sticking out of the opened back door and Banks unconscious, according to a police report.
The paramedics began to render aid and check for signs of life, when Banks began arguing and stumbled out of the car, the report said.
He allegedly pushed one of the firefighters in the chest, causing the paramedic to fall backwards, and told the paramedics, "I'm leaving.'' He then tried to get back into his car, according to the report.
He then began wrestling with the emergency workers, grabbed a paramedic's arm and "cranked" it behind the workers back, saying, "I ain't going nowhere! Don't make me beat your ass!'' the report said.
The workers, who smelled a strong odor of alcohol, tried to calm him down. They asked for his name and age and if he was OK, but Banks allegedly could not answer and became belligerent.
"I was drinking a lot of vodka tonight and I was fighting with the paramedics because I want to go home,'' Banks said, according to the report.
One of the paramedics suffered abrasions, redness, swelling and pain in the right and left forearm. The other paramedic suffered a laceration to the top of his left hand and complained of severe pain to the right side of his neck and right shoulder. He also sustained an abrasion to his chest, the report said. Both paramedics were men and both are 35 years old.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
